Mary Matthew Doyle (1870–1960) was a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

nun and religious leader who was the co-founder and first president of

Salve Regina University Salve Regina University is a private coeducational Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The univer ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

. She was also the first Mother Provincial of the Sisters of Mercy of Providence. Mary Matthew Doyle was born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

in 1870. She attended St. Francis Xavier Convent in 1890 and officially joined the religious order in 1892. She first taught at

St. Mary Academy – Bay View St. Mary Academy – Bay View is an all-girls Catholic school, serving girls and young women from pre-school through grade twelve. Bay View is located in Riverside, Rhode Island. It was founded by the Religious Sisters of Mercy in 1874. It is loc ...

until 1910 when she returned to St. Xavier's Convent. Within six years she became Mother Superior Reverend Mother. In 1929 the Sisters of Mercy in Rhode Island formed the Province of Providence and elected Mary Doyle as the first Mother Provincial serving until 1948. She helped found an active foreign mission in

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

. As Mother Provincial for the Sisters of Mercy, Doyle co-founded Salve Regina College and served in various positions including as a first incorporator, First Vice-President, First Vice-Chairman, member of the Board of Directors, and first President starting in 1947. She stepped down after a year and was succeeded by Sister Mary Hilda Miley. Doyle began to suffer an illness in 1950, but she lived until 1960, when she died at Mount St. Rita Convent. Doyle received honorary degrees from

Providence College Providence College is a Private university, private Roman Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, it offers 47 undergraduate Academic ...

(1926) and the Catholic Teachers College (1932).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doyle, Mary Matthew University and college founders People from Providence, Rhode Island 1870 births 1960 deaths Catholics from Rhode Island